Saturday
Jul252009
Iran Timeline: How the Supreme Leader Vanquished His President
Saturday, July 25, 2009 at 7:26
A Turning Point in Iran: The Eclipse of the President
The Latest from Iran (25 July): A President Retreats
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Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the final victory of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the dispute over the appointment of First Vice President Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai:
1502 in Tehran (1032 GMT): Iranian Students News Agency posts Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's address at Friday prayers in Tehran.
1745 Tehran (1315 GMT): Iranian press summarises Khatami address. Two sentences stand out: "I wish the President would accept the friendly criticisms of his friends. We consider this government to be legitimate and we support it, however it is our kindly and supportive concern for the president that leads us to request him to reconsider his decision."
2011 Tehran (1541 GMT): Khabar Online publishes a response form Ahmadinejad's Press Secretary, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, denying that the Supreme Leader has given the President a directive ordering the dismissal of the First Vice President:
2041 Tehran (1611 GMT): The official text of Khamenei's order, written five days earlier, to Ahmadinejad is published in Fars News. Publication follows in Tabnak ( 2050). Khabar Online (2113), and Etemade Melli (2210).
The publication of the statement sends the message to the President: You are dishonest, as it has been five days since you received this order.
Midnight Tehran (1930 GMT): A reader sends Enduring America an urgent e-mail. Fars News is reporting the statement of Ahmadinejad's senior assistant: Rahim-Mashai has resigned as First Vice President.
The Latest from Iran (25 July): A President Retreats
Receive our latest updates by email or RSS SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FEED
Buy Us A Cup of Coffee? Help Enduring America Expand Its Coverage and Analysis
Your cut-out-and-keep guide to the final victory of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the dispute over the appointment of First Vice President Esfandiar Rahim-Mashai:1502 in Tehran (1032 GMT): Iranian Students News Agency posts Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami's address at Friday prayers in Tehran.
1745 Tehran (1315 GMT): Iranian press summarises Khatami address. Two sentences stand out: "I wish the President would accept the friendly criticisms of his friends. We consider this government to be legitimate and we support it, however it is our kindly and supportive concern for the president that leads us to request him to reconsider his decision."
2011 Tehran (1541 GMT): Khabar Online publishes a response form Ahmadinejad's Press Secretary, Ali Akbar Javanfekr, denying that the Supreme Leader has given the President a directive ordering the dismissal of the First Vice President:
Mr Ahmadinejad is a strong arm of the Supreme Leader for serving the higher ideals of the people and the establishment, however some individuals are attempting to break this useful and competent arm. Amongst those who are against Mashai's installment, there are individuals for whom Mashai is irrelevant and their goal is to break the will of the President. Experience has proven that the president and Mr. Ahmadinejad's government defer to the supreme leader and if the Supreme Leader sends a directive we will obviously obey.
Is it the job of the Deputy Speaker of Parliament or the Speaker of Friday Prayers to deliver these directives to the President?....Whenever the Supreme Leader wishes to make his opinion known he announces it personally or he sends a directive missive from his office....If the Supreme Leader has this opinion, the problem will be resolved by consultations.
2041 Tehran (1611 GMT): The official text of Khamenei's order, written five days earlier, to Ahmadinejad is published in Fars News. Publication follows in Tabnak ( 2050). Khabar Online (2113), and Etemade Melli (2210).
The publication of the statement sends the message to the President: You are dishonest, as it has been five days since you received this order.
Midnight Tehran (1930 GMT): A reader sends Enduring America an urgent e-mail. Fars News is reporting the statement of Ahmadinejad's senior assistant: Rahim-Mashai has resigned as First Vice President.
Reader Comments (4)
Ahmadinejad publicly determined the length of his leash in front of all Iranians & the rest of the world as well.
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update: this comment was fully superseded by your next post, but I can't delete it. Maybe it's best to read the posts in reverse chronological order, but on the other hand, a little embarrassment isn't the end if the world
To me the surprise is not that Ahmadinejad lost, but that he ever dared to try. He received an order from his boss, the Supreme Leader, and ignored it for days, publicly claiming no such order had been given. Now in a normal dictatorship, when a figurehead "President" like Ahmadi acts up, the real power, the Supreme Leader in this case, gets on the phone to the army or KGB or SAVAK or who-ever.
That didn't happen here. The Supreme Leader had to rely on Fars News agency to publish his statement. Fars! That's not how Stalin handled dissent...
Ahmadi has control of much of the military and the Revolutionary Guard. His defiance of Khamenei is not over.
Very good point... this particular one isn't even over as Ahmadinejad appointed him to his personal staff without missing a beat & in a very public way
Let me put a question to you. Khamenei's son is central here. where does his allegiance lie, with his father or with AN? Maybe he would dispose of his father... but can he assume that the Council of Experts would place him in the seat?